Servants Preparation Curriculum
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE ST. GEORGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH SERVANTS PREPARATION CURRICULUM PREPARATION AND WRITING Father Rueiss Awad St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church Toronto, Canada First Edition 2015 In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, One God Amen. Acknowledgements “Thus far the LORD has helped us”. (1 Samuel 7:12) To the many youth of our church who continuously expressed to me the challenges of this age and time, so that it was necessary to produce this Curriculum with subjects specifically tailored to meet their needs. God Bless every one of them. To the many youth who participated in the typing and proof reading of the original documents. God bless them. To Fr. Makary Silwanis, who has full heartedly been convinced of the importance and the gravity of the work in the Curriculum as demonstrated by his dedicating a significant amount of time in order to follow up, encourage, and use his technological skills and experience for the production of this Curriculum. God bless his service and his life. To Brother Antonious Anba-Shenouda, whose interests, useful discussions, and insight are greatly appreciated. God bless his life. To Parthenia Magharious who undertook a final review of the chapters for the purpose of a linguistics check and edited all the content, as well as for her encouragement. God bless her life. To Michael Habashy for his love, dedication and assistance with the website. God bless his life. This is a preliminary edition which we present to our Coptic Orthodox Community. In anticipation of all the comments and suggestions that we will receive, we thank you. God bless everyone. Fr. Rueiss Awad SERVANTS PREPARATION CURRICULUM Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Important rules for teaching the youth in the land of immigration ................................................ 6 3. Principles in Serving the Lord ............................................................................................................. 8 Additional Article: The Spirit of Serving by HH Pope Shenouda III ....................................... 16 4. BASICS IN TEACHING SUNDAY SCHOOL 4a) THE PREPARATION OF SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS. ............................................ 28 4b) GUIDELINES IN TEACHING EACH GRADE ............................................................ 32 5. THE HOLY BIBLE 5a) AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLY BIBLE. ....................................................... 42 5 b) AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT ................................................. 56 5c) AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT ......................................... 64 For comments in the Holy Bible please go to the following link Related Articles : http://www.saint-mary.net/books/ 6. DOGMATIC THEOLOGY Dogma & Spirituality "THERE IS NO SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT A CORRECT DOGMA” .......... 76 DOGMATIC THEOLOGY I. ............................................................................................................... 79 a) THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: ........................................................................................... 79 b) WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD. THE ONENESS OF GOD. GOD IS ONE AND HAS NO PARTNERS ... 84 c) THE HOLY TRINITY: ...................................................................................................... 85 d) THE DIVINITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: ........................................................ 94 e) THE DIVINITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ........................................................................ 96 DOGMATIC THEOLOGY II. .............................................................................................................. 98 a) THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE: .................................................................................. 98 b) b) THE GREAT REDEMPTION: ..................................................................................... 99 c) SALVATION: .................................................................................................................. 100 d) THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE SALVATION: ........................................ 101 e) THE DOCTRINE OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH REGARDING THE VIRGIN MARY: .. 103 f) COPTIC ORTHODOX DOCTRINE IN INTERCESSION. .......................................... 104 DOGMATIC THEOLOGY III. – CHURCH SACRAMENTS ....................................................... 108 a) THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM ............................................................................... 110 b) THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION .................................................................. 114 c) THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE .............................................................................. 117 d) THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY COMMUNION .................................................. 121 e) THE SACRAMENT OF THE UNCTION OF THE SICK............................................. 130 f) THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY ....................................................................... 132 g) THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY ORDERS ............................................................ 136 DOGMATIC THEOLOGY IV. “SALVATION IN THE ORTHODOX CONCEPT .................. 141 a) NO SALVATION EXCEPT THROUGH THE BLOOD, OF CHRIST ALONE ............ 141 b) CONDITIONS OF SALVATION THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST .................. 143 c) STRIVING AND GRACE .............................................................................................. 155 d) WHEN SHALL WE ATTAIN SALVATION .................................................................. 162 Additional Link: The Nature of Christ http://www.saint-mary.net/books/The%20Nature%20of%20Christ.pdf Additional Link: The meaing of the Holy Trinity http://www.saint-mary.net/books/The_Meaning_of_the_Holy_Trinity_fr_abraam_sleman.pdf DOGMATIC THEOLOGY V. a) Will Our Bodies Ascend ? Link: http://lacopts.org/articles/will-our-bodies-ascend/ b) The Prayers For The Departed ................................................................................... 163A 7. THE HOLY TRADITIONS .............................................................................................................. 164 Additional Link: Tradition and Orthodoxy http://www.saint-mary.net/books/14-11%20Tradition%20&%20Orthodoxy.pdf 8. THE CHURCH HISTORY a) THE HISTORY OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA. A brief synopsis. .... 169 b) THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH. ........................................................................................ 176 c) CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION ....................................................................................... 183 d) THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE FIRST CENTURY. .................... 192 e) THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY IN THE SECOND AND THIRD CENTURIES ........ 209 f) THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORY IN THE FOURTH CENTURY AND BEYOND. ....... 226 g) THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA. .......... 245 Additional Link: The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt Vol. 1 http://www.saint-mary.net/books/The_ancient_Coptic_churches_of_Egypt%20Volume%20one.pdf Additional Link: The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt Vol. 2 http://www.saint-mary.net/books/The_ancient_Coptic_churches_of_Egypt%20Volume%20two.pdf Additional Link: Egyptian Monasticism http://lacopts.org/articles/egyptian-monasticism/ 9. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH Additional Link: The Coptic Orthodox Church http://www.saint-mary.net/books/Introduction%20to%20the%20Coptic%20Orthodox%20Church.pdf 10. RITUAL THIOLOGY INTRODUCTION TO RITUAL THEOLOGY ...................................................................................... 252 Additional Link: The Rites of the Holy Liturgy http://www.orthodoxebooks.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/THE%20RITES%20OF%20THE% 20HOLY%20LITURGY%20-%20HG%20Bishop%20Mettaous.pdf Additional Link: http://www.orthodoxebooks.org/allbooks 11. MORAL THEOLOGY a) An Introduction To Moral Theology................................................................................ 257 b) The Christian view on drinking alcohol ............................................................................. 266 c) Attempting to Know the Future ...................................................................................... 273 Additional Link: http://www.orthodoxebooks.org/allbooks 12. SPIRITUAL THEOLOGY a) An Introduction to the Spiritual Theology ........................................................................... 280 b) How To Humble Myself ? .................................................................................................. 293 c) Life of Fellowship – Koinonia ........................................................................................... 299 d) Christianity in Practical Life. ............................................................................................. 306 Additional Link: http://www.orthodoxebooks.org/allbooks 13. COMPARATIVE THEOLOGY .................................................................................................... 314 Additional Link: http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/theology/index.html EASTERN VERSUS ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHS Additional Link: https://app.box.com/s/04jtc0w7pbl7dertk54sypeh21tvubj9 14. PATROLOGY An Introduction to Patrology. ..............................................................................................................